Morata hits hat-trick as Chelsea win at Stoke

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Alvaro Morata score three against Stoke
Alvaro Morata score three against Stoke

A brilliant hat-trick from Alvaro Morata helped Premier League champions Chelsea to a dominant win over Stoke City, their third in succession away from home this season.

Antonio Conte’s side took the lead after only two minutes, Morata showing composure to latch on to Cesar Azpilicueta’s long ball over the top and slotting it past goalkeeper Jack Butland.

Stoke gifted Chelsea a second when captain Darren Fletcher, trying to chest the ball back towards his own goal, set up Pedro, who drilled home.

A wonderful run from the halfway line from Morata, ending with a smart finish from an angle, gave Chelsea their third before the Spaniard completed his hat-trick from inside the six-yard box.

Clinical Chelsea, who converted all four of their shots on target, remain in third place, three points behind leaders Manchester City.

Morata, a club record £60m summer signing from Real Madrid, has now scored six league goals this season.

Conte decided not to give Eden Hazard his first league start of the season, perhaps with the Wednesday’s Champions League fixture against Atletico Madrid in mind.

Hazard joined Cesc Fabregas and Gary Cahill on the substitutes’ bench, but Chelsea outplayed the Potters from the opening whistle.

Stoke reacted well to falling behind so early, but failed to break through the regimented Chelsea defence, with no shots on target in the first half.

They struggled to deal with Chelsea’s pressing and counter-attack game, but there were also lapses in concentration, with Fletcher’s chest-back and Glen Johnson being caught in possession both resulting in Chelsea goals.

Chelsea have now recorded consecutive away wins in the Premier League over Tottenham, Leicester and Stoke – the first time they have won their first three away matches in the league since 2009.

Conte took Marcos Alonso off in the 59th minute, moments after the Spaniard got caught up in several tussles with Mame Biram Diouf.

With Alonso on a yellow card, he clipped the legs of Diouf and was perhaps fortunate to be still on the field.

Conte insisted the substitution was “tactical” and not made out of fear of the midfielder getting sent off, while Stoke City manager Mark Hughes said: “Maybe referee Mike Dean allowed Alonso the benefit of the doubt.

“He didn’t get sent off but was taken off by manager Antonio Conte as a result of a fortuitous decision.”

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